God
Hindus believe in a universal God – Brahman. They also worship numerous other deities such as Krishna, Shiva, Rama and Durga.

Core beliefs
Central to Hinduism is the principle of non-violence. Known as ahimsa, this principle involves respecting the sanctity of all living things. Karma (incarnation) is another central Hindu belief.

Origins
Hinduism – widely thought to be the world’s oldest religion – began in India around 3,000 years ago. The word Hindu comes from the name of the River Indus, which flows through northern India.

The faith has no founder, single teacher, nor prophets.

Statistics
Hinduism is the world’s third most popular religion, with around 900 million followers. About 80% of people living in India consider themselves Hindus.

Hinduism is the fourth most popular religion in Britain with around 400,000 followers. There are just over 1,500 Hindus living in Tower Hamlets.

Diversity
Diversity is one of Hinduism’s defining qualities. Its followers accept a wide range of beliefs and philosophies. Their practices and traditions incorporate numerous linguistic and regional variations.

Worship
Hindus refer to worship as puja. Typically, it involves images (murtis), prayers (mantras) and diagrams of the universe (yantras).

Icons are an important part of Hindu worship, which can take place in the temple or at home.

When Hindus worship, they make personal offerings to various deities. This helps to explain why Hindu worship is more personal than communal.